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DALLAS  Just as the 2018 NHL Draft appeared destined to come and go without any large-scale shakeups, the Sharks found themselves at the center of a major trade rumor.

As the second day of the draft started to wind down in Dallas Saturday afternoon, reports surfaced linking the Sharks to Montreal Canadiens star forward Max Pacioretty, who has strong family ties to the Bay Area.

A deal never materialized.

Amidst the trade rumor madness, news broke that Pacioretty had parted ways with his agent, Pat Brisson. Roughly 10 minutes later, notorious-hockey agent Alan Walsh announced via Twitter that Pacioretty is now a client of his firm, Octagon.

General manager Doug Wilson punted on the opportunity to confirm or deny the reports, arriving at the Sharks podium roughly 45 minutes after reporters were told to meet him there to discuss the teams draft loot.

Did the Sharks have a deal on the table that fell through? Did Pacioretty use his no-move clause to kill the trade? Was the hoopla much ado about nothing?

Wilson didnt offer any clarity.

Any conversations I have with a gm is kept in confidence, Wilson said. I cant talk about other teams players.

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The idea of a trade for Pacioretty isnt that absurd when you take a quick glance at the tea leaves. The Sharks traded Mikkel Boedker and bought out the final year of Paul Martins contract this week to give themselves an additional $7.2 million in cap space because theyre looking for a difference maker this offseason.

New York Islanders superstar John Tavares sits atop the Sharks offseason wish list and theyre believed to be among the five teams slated to meet with him in Los Angeles during the NHLs listening period next week.

But in lieu of general manager Lou Lamoriello and head coach Barry Trotz hirings in recent weeks, more and more hockey experts are convinced that theres a good chance Tavares will remain with the Islanders. Keep in mind, Steven Stamkos met with several teams, including the Sharks, during the listening period two years ago before he eventually re-upped with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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As the Sharks prepare to make their pitch to Tavares, the door closed on a potential plan B Saturday. Ilya Kovalchuk signed a three-year contract worth $18.75 million with the Los Angeles Kings, ending the race to acquire the Russian free agent, who spent the last five seasons playing in the KHL.

The Sharks met with Kovalchuk earlier this month, but the price that the Kings paid to acquire his services proved to be too steep. The Kings gave Kovalchuk a contract thats identical to the deal that Patrick Marleau signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer. In the Marleau negotiations, the Sharks were wary about giving a third year to a 38-year-old player. Its likely that they felt the same way about giving Kovalchuk, whos 35, a three-year deal.

With Kovalchuk off the table, and Tavares looking like a long shot, Paciorettys name is rising to the top of the list of players who could be available this offseason. Pacioretty, who has one-year remaining on his contract, was on the trade block throughout the winter last season. His paternal grandmother, Theresa Pacioretty, lives in Santa Rosa, and his maternal grandmother, Guadaloupe Kolenda, lived in San Francisco for a large chunk of her life.

Another option if the Sharks fail to hook Tavares is Carolina Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner, whose name is also surfacing in trade talks.

Before the Sharks got swallowed up in the Pacioretty hoopla, they traded the drafts 114th and 145th picks to the Arizona Coyotes to move up and draft Swedish forward Linus Karlsson with the 87th pick in the third round.

Karlsson is said to be a strong two-way forward with a high hockey IQ. He will play hockey in Sweden next season.

Wilson also traded the 123rd and 139th picks to the Canadiens to draft forward Jasper Weatherby with the 102nd pick. The 20-year old is a late bloomer whos an incoming freshman at the University of North Dakota. Weatherby grew up rooting for the Sharks, attending the 2016 Stanley Cup Final in San Jose.

The Sharks rounded out their draft by selecting goalie Zachary Edmond in the sixth round with the 176th pick and forward John Leonard later in the round with the 182nd pick.

Our philosophy is always identify the guys you want to get and go get them, Wilson said. We got a mixture of different things and we feel pretty good about it.